The Epaminondas arrived
on the 24th December, having been at sea 119 days ; she
has brought to the Colony
446 souls. There were nine births and eighteen deaths
on board. The ship arrived in excellent order, everything
being clean and orderly; the emigrants expressed themselves
well satisfied with their diet and treatment.
Considerable
sickness had prevailed at one time on board, but it was
eventually overcome and there was little sickness of
moment on the arrival of the ship. The system of having
the berths built amidship in emigrant ships continues
to be adopted and appears to be a decided improvement
on the old system especially in vessels of large size.
I would very strongly recommend that the boxes and luggage
belonging to the young women intended for South Australia
should be put in some part of the ship separated from
the luggage of the other emigrants. As the young women
are sent immediately after arrival to the depot in town,
it is most desirable that their boxes should be sent
with them, and procurable without loss of time. When
the young women leave their boxes behind them, several
days sometimes elapse before all are found and if lost,
it is difficult to say who ought to be accountable.
I
have now to report that the ship Epaminondas has lately
arrived, carrying, in addition to the emigrants sent
by the Commissioners, several cabin passengers. I am
convinced that it is an erroneous system, and ought not
to be continued, as it is liable seriously to interfere
with the authority of the surgeon of the ship in the
management of those committed to his care. Several families
which arrived have complained to me that they had received
embarkation orders for one of the other colonies, but
that the Emigration Agent at Southampton had informed
them that the ships in which these people ought to have
sailed, being too full, he would send them to South Australia
and that the local Government would on arrival forward
them to their destination.
The names of these people are:— Thomas
Fruin, wife and child for Sydney ; Martin McGillevray,
wife and child for Melbourne, as his relatives had been
previously sent to that Colony ; Michael Ryan and wife
for Melbourne ; James Ward, wife and child for Melbourne
; there were also four young women, who assured me their
destination was for Melbourne.
There were in addition
to these mentioned some others who wrote to me on the
subject which letters I have forwarded for the consideration
of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor.Some of those
who have made this complaint have been by this means
separated from members of their family who have been
forwarded to other Colonies.

The South Australian Government Gazette 1866 p. 84

Name

Age

Date of Death

Cause of Death

Where buried

Densons, —
(Deason ?)

inf

no record

no record

at sea

Norman, Charles

inf

October 01

Neglect

at sea

Ryan, Bridget

2

October 08

Marasmus

at sea

McGilroy, Donald
(McGillivray)

17

October 08

Consumption

at sea

Makins, John

no record

Marasmus

at sea

Painton, Caroline

no record

Marasmus

at sea

Allen, Henry

inf

October 26

Spina bifida

at sea

Bryant, Christopher

inf

October 30

Whooping cough

at sea

Makins, John

36

October 31

Typhus fever

at sea

Spooner, Agnes

2

November 29

Whooping cough

at sea

Pine, Joseph

8

November 29

Cynanthe maligna

at sea

Baker, Joseph

32

December 02

Typhus fever

at sea

Bryant, Charles

inf

December 05

Debility

at sea

Players, —

inf

December 14

one hour after birth

at sea

Bill, Sarah (Bell)

24

December 17

Dysentery

at sea

Taylor, —

inf

December 18

found dead

at sea

Holmes, Robert

33

December 25

Dropsy

-

Paynton, —

inf

December 29

Debility

-

note: where maiden name
of
wife is indicated,
it has been included in the given name column within ( ) ; the passenger
list comprises three sections arranged alphabetically, i families,
ii single men, iii single women & children ; transcriber notes
in italics

Sources: State
Library South Australia, official passenger lists, mainly of immigrants
arriving in South Australia under United
Kingdom assisted passage schemes, 1847-1886
GRG 35/48a (formely ACC 313); Sydney Shipping Gazette; South Australian Register;
The South Australian Government Gazette; Biographical index SA 1836-1885 (the B-index column
indicates individuals who may be found in that index, with corresponding
reference
number for further research)